Truffles - To Taste or Not To Taste

Truffles are wild mushrooms which can be black, gray, brown or white and they are the most expensive culinary delight on the market. Expect to pay around $600 a pound for black and the white truffle reaches all the way up to $3500 a pound. Chefs and restaurants go crazy for truffles and pay a lot to stock them. The reason for the steep price tag you ask - truffles are not farm-grown or harvested. They grow spontaneously at the base of an oak tree or any other tree that promotes funghi.

  

The Egyptians and ancient Greeks were of the opinion that the truffle had therapeutic and aphrodisiac properties. With the help of sniffing pigs, yes, I said pigs, the truffle was hunted and now in addition to the pig, truffle hunters also use trained dogs. Personally, I don't get that something that is sought by pigs and dogs bear such a status symbol!

In case anyone is wondering - yes I have tasted truffles and quite honestly I am not a fan. If your curiosity is growing about these royal bites (which by the way are sold at Wegmans), try truffle oil. You can buy an 8 oz. bottle of truffle infused oil for around $12 and a .33 oz. bottle of concentrated truffle oil for around $65. If this is your first time tasting truffles, I would recommend the infused oil to introduce the musty flavor to your palette. The flavor is interesting, but be careful to use it sparingly.

60 minutes did a segment on truffles and I'd like to share it with you. To taste or not to taste, you decide!